The event hosted a two-day live edition, which was allied to a 30-day on-demand show wrapped up on Saturday, 3 October.

With over 82 000+ platform visits during the show, delegates were able to watch 40 hours of thought leadership talks from global and local brands, visit more than 80 sponsor booths in the virtual expo hall and review over 30 posters at the virtual innovation wall.

Nick Bradshaw, CEO of the AI Media Group and co-founder of AI Expo Africa event says, "This edition of AI Expo Africa is our largest to date and also the largest of its class to be run in the Africa region. [It] has received very positive feedback from both local, regional and international trade delegates, as well as speakers and sponsors." 

Bradshaw says that the online format was chosen for this year's edition due to restrictions around hosting face-to-face events in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was important to us to create a 'digital twin' of our successful face-to-face format that has been hailed as world-class. [It] was supported this year by the likes of SAP, Microsoft, Huawei, Oracle, ITU, Arm, Dell, Intel, UiPath and Blue Prism," adds Bradshaw.

"We had a much larger contingent of international companies that were able to join us via the convenience of the virtual expo hall and our international pavilions hosted by the Dutch, Israeli, Swiss and French Embassies in South Africa," Bradshaw says.

Bradshaw adds, "The AI Media Group, organisers of AI Expo Africa, would like to thank all sponsors, speakers and delegates who supported and attended the event. Without their commitment and leap of faith in these challenging times, this edition would not have been possible."

Diversity and inclusivity:
  • Delegate diversity: 32% Female and 68% Male
  • 80 Speakers from 13 countries represented in the speaking programme, which had 40 hours of talks (30% Female, 70% Male), and
  • 34 ePosters presented for six Innovation Challenges from seven countries ( 45% Female, 55% Male).
Roy Bannister, head of event production at AI Media Group, says, "Overall, the feedback from sponsors and delegates has been amazing; the inclusion of many more exhibitors via the show's international pavilions and online format was a big contributor to this year's massive success."

An initial report containing key statistics from AI Expo Africa 2020 ONLINE is now available here. A delegate survey conducted by AI Media Group showed that 97% of respondents said they enjoyed themselves and learnt something new. 95% Felt the show met all their expectations, with 98% of respondents stating they would come to AI Expo Africa 2021.

Bannister concludes, "Many companies who couldn't have attended saw this as a clear advantage of the online format. The convenience of being able to watch talks with live Q&A chat and the ability to watch talks at any time was well-received and valued. The online event experience also offers unique features and opportunities that aren't available in traditional formats. These included real-time analytics, bespoke reporting and a 30-day show archive."

Those looking to secure a place on the 2021 Super Early Bird list can do so by signing up for the event's Super Early Bird news mailer

For more information, visit www.aiexpoafrica.com. You can also follow the AI Expo Africa on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.